Glück, Heinrich. Die Indischen Miniaturen des Hamza-e Romanes im Österreichischen Museum für Kunst und Industrie in Wien und in anderen Sammlungen (Zurich: Amalthea-Verlag, 1925).
Hamza-nama: Vollständige Wiedergabe der bekannten Blätter der Handschrift aus den Beständen aller erreichbaren Sammlungen. Codices selecti phototypice impressi, Vol. 52 (Graz: Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt, 1974).
FRENCH
“Les artistes de la court d’Akbar et les illustrations de Dastan i Amir Hamzae.” In Arts Asiatiques. Vol. II, fase 1–2 (1995).
DUTCH
Van Ronkel, Ph. S. De Roman van Amir Hamza (Lieden: E. J. Brill, 1895).
NOTES
BOOK ONE
1. Ctesiphon: (Mada’in) the collective name of seven cities that flourished in the reign of Naushervan in the seventh century C.E.
2. henna from the palm: The words used in the Urdu text are duzd-e henna, literally, “the thief of henna.” It is a term used to describe the white parts of the hand that escape the application of henna.
3. Khvaja: a man of distinction. A title conferred on dignitaries.
4. hikmat: a high degree of wisdom. Also a lesser-known school of philosophy.
5. Malik: title of royalty. Also conferred on viziers, as in the case of Malik Alqash.
6. kalma: an act of faith consisting of the affirmation of the existence of one God and the prophethood of Muhammad.
7. maunds: A maund is a measurement of weight equivalent to a little more than 82 pounds, or 38.25 kilograms.
8. Tabrizi maund: a measure of weight equivalent to 3 kilograms.
9. Jamshedi robe of honor: a royal gift consisting of eleven pieces of cloth; usually conferred on viziers as a mark of honor.
10. God forbid … harm: The term enemies is substituted for a person’s name because of the superstition that just mentioning the name of a person in the context of a calamity will bring the calamity down on his head. Thus, if person A is unwell, his friends will ask, “Are the enemies of A unwell?”
11. Mount of Wisdom: A pun is intended here in Urdu as well. The word used is khar-e hukma. Khar means “ass” as well as “great.” So the literal translation of the term would be “ass of the wise men” and “wisest of the wise,” both of which are conveyed in the term Mount of Wisdom.
12. seven treasures of Shaddad: In classical literature, not seven treasures but seven gates of Shaddad’s city Irum are mentioned. It was the emperor Khusrau who was known to have seven treasures. In the dastan tradition these references are typically mixed up.
13. Seven Climes: (Haft Aqlim) an approach used by classical Islamic geographers to divide the Earth into the Greek system of zones or climes.
14. ayyars: tricksters or spies. In the dastan the word ayyar is mostly used with Amar’s name. Amar is an ayyar, a most cunning fellow unmatched in slyness. While his resourcefulness derives in part from divine gifts, his slyness and craftiness are native.
15. the prince Naushervan: The name Naushervan is constructed from the composition of the two words nosh, meaning “drinking,” and ravan, meaning “flowing,” used in the context of the water spring.
16. dulcimer: a type of stringed instrument, harp, or psaltery played by hand without making use of any plectrum or bow.
17. chain: a chain hung outside his court by Emperor Naushervan, which allowed petitioners a direct and personal audience with him.
18. Kaaba: the holy shrine in Mecca toward which all Muslims turn when saying their prayers.
19. Mount Qaf: (Koh Qaf) according to Islamic legend, the huge mountain in the middle of which the Earth is sunk, as a night light is placed in a cup. It binds the horizon on all sides. Its foundation is the emerald Sakhrat, the reflection of which gives the azure hue to the sky.
20. collyrium of Suleiman: (Surma-e Suleimani) according to legend, a powder that makes one able to see the hidden treasures of the Earth. The collyrium of Suleiman in the dastan, however, makes one see jinns, devs, peris, etc., who otherwise remain invisible to the human eye.
21. carbuncles: any of several red precious stones such as the ruby.
22. lost Yusuf: A parallel is drawn between Yaqub (Jacob) being reunited with his son Yusuf (Joseph) and Khvaja Abdul Muttalib with his son Hamza.
23. fateha: a prayer read on an offering. Generally the first chapter of the Quran, Sura Fateha, also known as the Exordium, is read on offerings. See also note 57.
24. peras: sweetmeats made of curds.
25. tola: a traditional Indian unit of mass, now standardized as 11.66 grams.
26. burqa: a robelike veil for the whole body, which also covers the head, supplied with an opening for the eyes.
27. khagina: a dish similar to an omelet but containing more spices, and sometimes mince as well.
28. shir-maals: a kind of bread made of flour kneaded with milk and sugar.
29. nihari: a kind of meat curry or mulligatawny traditionally prepared for breakfast.
30. five vices: The five defects in a horse as described in the sharia are: hashri, a stallion who is violent and impetuous with the mare; sitara-peshani, having a star on the forehead; kamari, a horse weak in the loins; shab-kur, having night blindness, or suffering from a disease known as rataundhia; and kuhan-lang, being unable to budge from its spot.
31. sharia: the code of social life modeled on the teachings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.
32. Sahib-e Hal Ata: This phrase signifies Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam. Chapter 76 of the Quran, called Dahr, or Insan, begins with this phrase. It means “has there not passed, or been?” Verse 8 of this sura, or chapter, speaks of people who themselves go hungry but feed others. Some interpreters of the Quran say that this verse refers to Ali, and it is presumed that the whole sura is about Ali in some way. Since the sura starts with hal ata, Ali is occasionally described as the sahib, or the tajdar, of hal ata. For this information I am indebted to Shamsur Rahman Faruqi.
33. Second of the Five Holies: The Five Holies are usually listed as: Muhammad, first; Fatima, second; Ali, third; Hasan, fourth; and Husain, fifth. However, in this instance, Ali is listed as the second.
34. a seven-year-old boy: The dastan follows the classical tradition of heroes acquiring prodigious strength at a very young age.
35. Erebus of Hell: the darkest region of Hell.
36. thousands … lying murdered: The exaggeration in numbers is sometimes used in the dastan to emphasize some aspect of the scene—in this case, the sheer havoc caused by Hamza and his companions.
37. amir: a commander or leader. In this book this title is used for Hamza, the hero of the story.
38. horse-shinty: (chogan) an eastern game of which polo is the modern form.
39. ringdove perched on a cypress branch: The poets traditionally considered the ringdove a lover of the cypress tree. The event suggests the image of a lover (ringdove) coming to his beloved (cypress tree) in distress. It is also significant that the ringdove as a citizen in Naushervan’s land has come to seek redress at the emperor’s court.
40. court of Jamshed: An ancient king of Persia, Jamshed (often confused in legends with Alexander and King Solomon) is invoked here to suggest the grandeur of Emperor Naushervan’s court. See also note 46.
41. Abul-Ala: This is one of the titles used by Amir Hamza.
42. Maghrebi wrestling: The Greek style of wrestling is most likely intended by this reference.
43. Mehtar: a commander.
44. tent of the prophet Danyal: A tent on which magic had no effect.
45. hava-mohra: some kind of conch shell.
46. Throne of Kai-Khusrau: The name of the mighty Persian emperor Kai Khusrau (King Cyrus) is invoked here to suggest the grandeur of Emperor Naushervan’s court and his throne. See also note 40.
47. Turan: the ancient Iranian name for Central Asia, literally meaning “the land of the Tur.” According to legend, the nomadic tribes who inhabited these lands were ruled by Tur, who was the emperor Faridun’s elder
son.
48. Rustam’s Throne: The most celebrated champion of the Persian court occupies the traditional seat of Rustam, the ancient warrior and hero of the Shah-namah. This seat has been given to Gustham bin Ashk Zarrin Kafsh in view of his might and valor. It is this chair that Hamza occupies in Gustham’s absence when Naushervan offers him a seat of his choice in his court.
49. do-tara: a stringed instrument with two wires. Here and on this page, Amar is seen playing the do-tara when the instrument will be bestowed upon him much later. See the Translator’s Preface for explanation of these apparent inconsistencies. See also note 60.
50. ambarcha: a neck ornament that has a cavity for storing amber.
51. Sahibqiran: Lord of the Auspicious Planetary Conjunction. Someone born under the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus was given this title. Jupiter and Venus were thought to be benevolent planets, and their conjunction was considered most fortunate. This epithet is also applied to a monarch who has ruled for forty years. In this book the title is used exclusively for Amir Hamza.
52. simurgh: a legendary bird.
53. moon’s partridge dove: The partridge dove is famous in Persian and Urdu poetry for the beauty of its gait.
54. Khusrau: a title used for a majestic king. In this book it is used for Landhoor bin Saadan, unless accompanied by another name.
55. Shah Mohra: a precious stone, said to be found in a serpent’s mouth or a dragon’s head, that is reputed to have curative properties.
56. salve of Daud: (Marham-e Daudi) a legendary ointment that is known for its miraculous healing properties.
57. “over which fateha has been said”: to cause blessings to be invoked upon a dead relative. This is done by having the opening chapter of the Quran, the Sura Fateha or the Exordium, read over the deceased for forty days after his death, and by distributing alms and food. See also note 23.
58. dev-jama: a garment of animal skin with the hairy part outside. Also refers to a lion’s skin in which the warriors clothed themselves.
59. zambil: Amar’s zambil is perhaps based on Zambil-e Suleiman, a wallet or leather bag in Suleiman’s possession which produced anything he wished for. (It was also called Amban-e Suleiman.) In the Turkish version told by Behçet Mahir we find that Amar’s pouch was made from the skin of the sheep that Prophet Ibrahim had sacrificed to Allah instead of his son. Thus that sheepskin had been waiting there for Amar since the time of Prophet Ibrahim.
60. do-tara: See note 49.
61. “You shall run … tire”: It is interesting to note that earlier Khizr also gave the same miracle to Amar. In the Turkish version of Behçet Mahir, Amar could run as fast as the wind because he did not have any kneecaps. Also in this version, Izrail, the Angel of Death, was unable to catch him and take his soul because Amar ran faster than Izrail could fly. When Izrail asked Allah’s advice, the Almighty God told him to place a golden pickax and a silver shovel in a newly dug grave and to catch Amar when his greed for the gold and silver lured him there. Izrail acted on Allah’s advice and successfully captured Amar’s soul.
62. mithcals: measures of weight.
63. Sikander’s rampart: (Sadd-e Sikander) according to legend, a rampart built by Alexander the Bicornous to hold back Gog and Magog.
64. Koh-e Besutoon: the great mountain through which Farhad, the legendary lover of Shirin, had to cut a channel as a precondition for winning his beloved.
65. Bardwani: of or pertaining to Bardwan, a city in Bengal.
66. old woman of Ctesiphon: According to legend, an old woman who lived near Naushervan’s palace whose cooking wafted smoke into the emperor’s palace. Naushervan offered to give her another place to live but she refused, and he did not use coercion to have her moved despite his discomfort due to the smoke.
67. Gueber: a derogatory term for Zoroastrians.
68. noshidaru: a confection that is supposed to be a sovereign antidote against all kinds of maladies.
69. “Your Honor … I will not pay”: a conversation conducted in an Indian regional dialect (Abdullah Bilgrami, Dastan-e Amir Hamza, 1871, p. 235, lines 8–13, 15–16, 21–23).
70. mashas: traditional units of weight used in India, approximately equivalent to one gram.
71. King of the Four Climes: an allusion to the sun, which shines on the four corners of the globe.
72 maiyoon: a ceremony of Indian Muslims in which a few days before the wedding the bride is sent into seclusion and no man is allowed to approach her, so her thoughts may become focused on her bridegroom.
73. One hundred and seventy-five gods: The dastan mixes social and cultural references, which explains the presence of Brahmins in a Zoroastrian funeral procession.
74. squib: a firecracker in which the powder burns with a fizz.
75 Anno Hegirae … Anno Domini: Anno Hegirae is used to indicate the time from the first year of the Muslim calendar (622 C.E.); Anno Domini is used to indicate the time from the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
BOOK TWO
1. avis of Naushervan’s soul: In the Indo-Persian literary tradition the soul is likened to an avis or bird. When the corporeal self dies the soul flies away. A state of extreme fear or agitation is said to cause the soul to begin fluttering inside the cage of the corporeal self. In this instance, however, Amar Ayyar makes a wordplay on the allegory by threatening to pluck the avis of Naushervan’s soul.
2. The westbound bird: an allusion to the sun, for its movement from east to west in the sky.
3. maghreb prayers: the fourth set of prayers said by Muslims daily, occurring after sunset.
4. Potentate of the First Heaven: an allusion to the moon. In Islamic mythology the skies were divided into regions named first heaven, et cetera.
5. salve of Suleiman: The invention of this salve is attributed to Prophet Suleiman (Solomon); it is supposed to have miraculous healing properties. See also note 56, Book One.
6. dastan: an epic, romance, adventure, or story. It is an oral narrative form.
7. zuhr prayers: the second set of prayers said by Muslims daily, occurring in the afternoon.
8. catechu, and kohl: Catechu is an astringent; it is the extract of Acacia catechu, produced by boiling the wood in water and evaporating the resulting brew. Kohl is a dark gray ore of lead usually used to outline the eyes.
9. Samsam, Qumqam, Aqrab-e Suleimani, and Zul-Hajam: names of legendary swords that belonged to Prophet Suleiman.
10. Naqabdar: literally, “the veiled one.”
11. tilism: The word as used here means an enchantment or an enchanted region. It also refers to a device or a combination of devices that have magical attributes.
12. Koh-e Besutoon: In the earlier instance, the term was used to describe the great mountain through which Farhad, the legendary lover of Shirin, had to cut a channel as a condition to winning his beloved. In this case, it is a fixture of Qaf. See note 64 (Book One).
13. gave up the ghost with just one cry: This is the first time we see Sufaid Dev being killed. However, because of multiple dastan traditions intervening in the text, he appears alive on two subsequent occasions, and is killed each time. See note 6 (Book Three) and note 18 (Book Four).
14. Badi-ul-Mulk: Badi-ul-Mulk never appears in this story. See A Note on the Text.
BOOK THREE
1. Zandan-e Suleimani: a prison built by Prophet Suleiman.
2. signet of Suleiman: also known as the Seal of Suleiman. The signet worn by Prophet Suleiman. It is said that because this ring had the Most Great Name inscribed on it the jinns obeyed the prophet.
3. color of Mars: Red is the color most often associated with the planet Mars. As Mars is also the God of War, wearing red clothes signifies the sanguinary mood of the wearer.
4. a giant crane: the species of gigantic crane Ardea argala, known as “the bone swallower.”
5. Some transcribers … a false tradition: Here two versions of the event are mentioned as described by the dastan narrators of the time: In one Hamza divorces Aasman Peri and
in the other he does not. It is not specified in this passage which one is chosen by the author of this narrative. We find out later that it was the one in which Hamza divorced Aasman Peri. See note 8 below.
6. He killed him … draw another breath: In this passage Sufaid Dev dies at Landhoor’s hands, but in Book Four we discover he is alive; he is ultimately killed by Amir Hamza. See note 13 (Book Two).
7. Khvaja Nihal: Earlier, Amar was shown to have killed Khvaja Nihal. In this passage we see Khvaja Nihal alive. This disparity exists, perhaps, because of the various, often conflicting, narrative traditions of the Dastan-e Amir Hamza used by the author to compose his own version. See also A Note on the Text.
8. Because Amir had divorced: See note 5 above. In this passage we finally learn which tradition the narrator chose to build his story. See also A Note on the Text.
9. Shish-Mahal: Mughal architectural term for a room decorated with mirror mosaics. The term can also be described as “glass palace.”
10. fell dead: In this passage Samandoon Hazar-Dast Dev dies, but in Book Four we discover he is alive and is ultimately killed by Amir Hamza in similar circumstances.
BOOK FOUR
1. pavilion of Jamshed: The name of Jamshed, an ancient king of Persia, is often confused in legend with that of Prophet Suleiman. In this instance, the Pavilion of Jamshed is interchangeable with the Pavilion of Suleiman. See also note 2.
2. Pavilion of Suleiman … Char-Bazar of Bilqis: These are enchanted pavilions and tents, according to the dastan. They have more than one story, multiple chambers, and interconnecting passages or spaces.
3. a precious pearl: an allusion to the act of conception. Earlier in this passage the same imagery was used to describe the act of coition.
4. onager: a wild ass.
5. fajar prayers: the first set of prayers said by Muslims in the morning.
6. Taking Muqbil for Amir Hamza: In the dastan tradition Muqbil and Amir Hamza share a likeness of features.
The Adventures of Amir Hamza Page 61